News, Newsletters & Meetings / Nuus, Nuusbriewe & Vergaderings

CSF-Newsletter TWO: November 2017 (Afrikaans)Good day membersPlease accept my apologies for this the second newsletter for November. We do not wish to spam anyone but we have some great news and we thought that there would not be too many complaints wrt good news.Firstly, our permissions to set up CCTV security cameras have been approved by the Kouga Municipality. Thank to councilor Ben Rheeder for following through with this request and getting the necessary people to see the value of the project. As previously mentioned we have funding for Phase 1 and Phase 2 - thank you very much for those people who have kindly donated towards the safety of our village. We are currently looking for funding for Phase 3. We still need R30,000 to complete the CCTV system, so if you are interested in pledging a donation please contact us for banking details. Banking details: STANDARD BANK, Albert Saunders Attorneys Trust Account, Account no: 281 401 551, Branch Code: 050015 (Humansdorp), Use Reference: Your name/C123Secondly, with regards to the LINK app and the Kouga Municipality, we quoted the wrong numbers for the Call Center. These three numbers go through to the Kouga Municipality Call Centre and have been checked –042 2002 250 or042 2002 233 or042 2008 407.Thirdly, we are reaching out for a volunteer to assist with the book-keeping for the Cape St Francis Civics/Ratepayers Association accounts. It’s not too complicated – we get membership fees and we get donations in, and then we spend the money on the village. We just need someone to help us balance our books. As mentioned, it is a volunteer position, for someone who is passionate about our village.As a last minute addendum we would like to say to all that we will be employing Beauty (cleaning), Bennie (security) and Myles Family (road + bin clean ups) for the season.Also, thank you for all the replies to our last email. If we haven’t replied yet my apologies, we will get back to you soonest.Best RegardsDane ShawChairperson: Cape St Francis Civics/Ratepayers Association

CSF-Newsletter ONE: November 2017 (Afrikaans)Good day membersIt has been a busy few months, and the Cape St Francis Civics/Ratepayers Association has been hard at work with a number of endeavours. Apologies for the newsletter that is a little longer than usual, there is so much to tell!Firstly, thank you for all the subscriptions, membership renewals, and all the fees that have been paid. The proposed R350 total has been widely accepted, with many members donating more than that, which is greatly appreciated. Membership numbers and finances will be totaled for the next communication. If you know of anyone who might not have paid up or joined, please forward this email to them. The subs link here - https://www.capestfranciscivicassociation.org.za/membership--lidmaatskap.htmlAfter much hard work and relentless investigation and enquiries, we finally made some progress with the clearing of the R330. The danger to runners and cyclists was becoming quite alarming, and eventually Randall Moore; the district roads engineer for the Sarah Baartman Region organized Tzitzikamma Fencing to do the clear up job. Big thanks to both, the road is looking great and runners and cyclists can continue with their pursuits without danger.The Kouga Municipality sent out traffic officials to assess our request for traffic calming (speed bumps) at the two hotspots - our village center alongside the retail outlets, as well as alongside the Cape St Francis Resort and Rock Lily stretch. Assessment details to follow. The CCTV Camera Installation request went through the first round in the standing committee, and all being well should be approved at the next council meeting on 15 Dec 2017. It seems everyone is keen. We are setting up a trust fund for the cameras for donations for this project. At this stage phases 1 and 2 are funded, thank you to all who pledged, and we are currently looking for funds for phase 3. Find the banking details and other informationhere Banking details: STANDARD BANK, Albert Saunders Attorneys Trust Account, Account no: 281 401 551, Branch Code: 050015 (Humansdorp), Use Reference: Your name/C123

We would like to welcome the Woodridge Surf Life Saving Club, who is covering our beaches every Sunday out of season during the summer months, from November to April. Great to have you guys around. Civics will also be employing four additional lifeguards who will be on duty for the busiest times of our season – 24 December to 2 January. Lifeguards from anywhere around the country who are interested in working here in December can contact Civics on CSFCivic@gmail.comCivics has also employed Beauty to maintain our beaches and ablutions.Her duties include the cleaning of the bottom and top ablutions, and the cleaning and maintenance of the beach from Lookout to Corner, as well as the path and verge from the lower car park up to the Lighthouse. She will be employed for three days a week for the months of December to January. Beauty will be recognizable and hard at work, so please feel free to say hello when you see her.

Big thanks to Alex Odendaal from Allens Woodworks for the donation of wood, and to Stuart Minehan for his time and expertise in the deck build at the lower car park showers. Much appreciated guys!

A recent dead giant fur seal washed up on the beaches estimated at about 300kgs and in a state of decomposition. Thanks to Kouga Municipality and Councillor Williams who dealt with the removal of the animal within an hour of the phone call.

Kouga Municipality has a new call center and app to improve service delivery at Kouga, thus making it easier for residents to report and track service delivery problems in their wards, and it’s working great.The free LINK app is available for Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded at download.linkapp.co.za/#dl, from the Google Play or App Store.Upon registration the app will request permission to access your location – this is important, be sure to accept.To Link to your Ward, (Ward 12) click on “+ and Add Channels”.Select the blue Municipal Ward icon, allow the app to geo-locate you and Link to your Ward as displayed. It’s totally intuitive and many people are utilizing it to great effect. Click on image for more info.

Further information about Link is available at www.linkapp.co.za and Kouga’s new call center can be contacted on 042 200 2200Nick Schoeman from the Cape St Francis Police Forum has suggested whatsapp micro-groups in a bid to combat crime in your immediate area.Instead of only belonging to bigger safety groups, he advised to set up street safety groups of between 5 to 8 families/homeowners who watch each other’s back a bit closer than the bigger groups. A few streets have already initiated this to good effect, with members now alert to their neighbour’s alarms being triggered and other suspicious behaviour. Another thank you to Kouga Municipality who responded after hours to a burst water pipe and their prompt water leakage solution at corner of Waratah and Diaz. Thanks guys. Please remember that we still need to urgently save water, and need visitors to our beautiful village this holiday to be mindful of the water scarcity. If water wastage is spotted, there is nothing wrong with a friendly word with the visitor, to remind them that we too are in a water crisis and we all need to save water. Kind regards.Dane ShawChairperson, Cape St Francis Civics/Ratepayers Association

​CSF-Newsletter: October 2017 Good day members This is the start of the much anticipated Cape St Francis Civics /Ratepayers Association membership drive. The new rates of R350 have been discussed at length, and we have received only positive feedback thus far.

With the CCTV camera project underway, and with a number of other projects to commence shortly, we would like to get as many home owners and residents to join. Those of you who have joined, please take it upon yourself to make sure your friends and neighbours have all joined. As mentioned in previous correspondence, it is a singular fund allocation of R350/property, but please feel free to donate more, and please bear in mind that if you have a shared property, then there are more people benefitting from the work of the Civics, and you are therefore encouraged (and asked nicely by us) to donate a little bit extra.

Please also note that those who cannot afford the new membership will be encouraged to speak with any member of the committee regarding an exemption or relief, in order to be inclusive as possible.

Right now we are sitting on way less than 200 members out of a possible 800, and we would like everyone to climb on board for this membership drive, with a goal being a minimum of 400 members, ensuring that we have a powerful voice going forward.

Please forward this email to anyone you know who should be a member of Cape St Francis Civics/Ratepayers Association.

Also, we would like to sincerely thank outgoing Cape St Francis Civics / Ratepayers Association Executive Committee member Matie Du Toit for all the hard work he has put into the association. We would like to wish him all the best for the future.

We are heading into summer rather quickly, and can soon expect an influx of visitors to our little village. It is time for us to gather our resources and to ensure that we are prepared and have much under control when the season arrives.

Here are a few items from the latest committee meeting that we would like to put on the table, for all to comment on.

First and foremost, current membership rates stand at R150 per property, as well as a number of perpetually running funds, whose objectives have been lost in translation from one committee to the next. Most members pay R350 for the year, with their fees being allocated into the separate running funds.

For the upcoming financial year, we would like to change this system.For the sake of good governance and accountability we would like to combine these funds in the new financial year and communicate to the community when and how we spend their donations. We propose that the yearly membership rate becomes R350/property, making a singular fund allocation.

In essence, the ongoing/perpetual funds will be pooled to ease the committee's administrative and allocation constraints and in future all donations over and above the membership fee will be pooled for use by committee and the village as they deem necessary. If there are specific projects, which are undertaken the Civics will open dedicated funds for those projects providing for greater accountability and responsibility once a specific project has been completed.

Please also note that those who cannot afford the new membership will be encouraged to speak with the committee regarding an exemption or relief, in order to be as inclusive as possible. The committee will provide exemptions on an individual case basis.

The committee believes that this will help to clarify the spending of your money in looking after our village, but would like as much feedback as possible on this proposal. Please mail, phone or talk to any of the committee members about this proposal at your soonest convenience so that we can plan a way forward.

We would then like to go on a membership drive, as the financial year for the association starts 1 October. Right now, we have 180 members of a possible 800, and we would like everyone to help and climb on board to get our numbers up to a minimum of 400 members, ensuring that we have a powerful voice going forward.

We would like to thank Pierre Van der Walt and his team for mowing the lawns and cleaning up the weeds and mess at the Boulevard car park, up to the surfers’ car park. The grass and weeds were overgrown and untidy, and Pierre took it upon himself to get involved and clean up, at his own cost. Obviously, this sort of initiative is greatly encouraged, and the possibility of residents and Civics members taking ownership of such duties is a positive step in the right direction. If anyone feels compelled to do something similar, please make contact with Civics beforehand to ensure that there are no bylaws in place that might be broken, or any other possible consequences to your good deeds.

We will be sending a second newsletter out with a decided membership fee for the year, as well as with details of our membership drive and how we can all help with this drive.

Please feel free to engage with any of the committee members, and to email this Civics general email address - CSFCivic@gmail.com

We would like to apologise for the lack of communication. It has been a busy time for many, and the new committee at St Francis Civics has had much on the go. We promise that the communication will increase and improve going forward. So let’s dive in.

Firstly, and foremost on the agenda, we would like to mention that we are still in the midst of a water shortage disaster. We need to watch our water usage each and every day. Please see the attached image for guidelines on water savings and how best to utilize your allotted 87 liters.

We would like to state the following: we currently have 180 members, and at a current subscription of R150 it means that without donations, Civics are only able to raise R27,000, which is not enough to cover the current expenses to maintain status quo.

This expenditure is listed below. In 2016 these expenses totaled R26050 compared to R34 650 for 2017 thus far.

We would like to reiterate that we are assuming the same role of the previous committee and are implementing a project-based system. The Civics committee is currently identifying and scoping special projects for 2018. Revenue raised from memberships will be aimed at maintaining our regular projects while budgeting and fund raising for special projects will be allocated and distributed separately.

Current expenses to maintain status quo:

R330 Road Clean up

A contractor is employed on a monthly retainer to keep the R330 rubbish free, as well as clear bins in the village from time to time.Cost = R1400/pm

Beach and Ablution Cleaning

A cleaner is paid a daily wage to keep the foreshore and ablutions clean and tidy during festive periods and sporting events. Cost = R150/pd

Beach Law-Enforcement

A law enforcement officer is paid a daily wage during festive periods to enforce by-laws along the foreshore and promote safety. Cost = R300/pd

Entrance Garden

Civics employs a garden service to maintain the entrance garden, also known as the anchor garden. Cost = R300/pm

New Projects

The following projects have been identified going forward. It would be ideal if members align with one or more of these projects, with either donations or offers of help in any way.

CCTV Security System. We have a number of quotes for setting up a CCTV camera security system in our village. Cameras, number plate recognition software and a manned control center form part of this project. The great news is that we have already received R27k in pledges towards the funding of this, so a big thank you to those people who have pledged already. More to follow.

The Woodridge Lifesavers Association is setting up residence at the lifeguard clubhouse at the bottom beach car park. There will be lifeguards on duty every Sunday, starting from October and going through until end November. The professional lifeguards will then kick in over season, and then the Woodbridge Lifesavers will revert back to duty from January until April 2018. Our beaches are dangerous, and it will be great to have lifeguard presence for this six-month period.There are bigger plans with regards to lifeguards and the clubhouse, and we will elaborate on this further in upcoming newsletters.

Firebreaks. Civics is assisting FOSTER in having the firebreaks cut and maintained, by approaching the ward committee for financial assistance. This is urgent, and will be on the agenda for the next ward meeting.

Plot clearing. We are also looking at ensuring that property owners take responsibility in clearing their plots of invasive alien plants.We have a list of properties that currently are overgrown and pose a possible fire hazard, and with the current climactic conditions – dry, windy, no water – we are going to put forward a plan to implement clearing of such properties. Owners of overgrown properties must be aware that the devastating fires and loss of houses and infrastructure during Knysna’s fire was owing to infestations of alien plants.

Traffic calming. Civics has the intention to introduce traffic calming at the CBD area as well as at the Cape St Francis Resort / Rock Lily area. This is still in the early stages, but some progress has already been made with this project and we will have more details soon.

Civics has enjoyed great communication with the Kouga Municipality, and has resolved a number of issues already this year. We recently sat with councilor Ben Rheeder for an interesting and informative meeting on budget and expenditure in our area, and we as a body have had representation at all IDP meetings as well as Ward Council meetings.

Please remember that the financial year runs 1 October to 30 September, so if you assign up now you will be reminded to join next financial year again, but you will be in the loop, on the mailing list, and be able to assist with current obligations.

Big thanks to everyone who has stepped in to help, offered advice, donated time or money, and given assistance to the new committee. It has been very much appreciated.

Please feel free to engage with any of the committee members, and to email this Civics general email address - CSFCivic@gmail.com - should you wish to climb on board and get involved in any of the projects that might appeal to you.

We will be going on a strong membership drive soon, and will let all members know when this will begin. It would be great if each and every member could try and get one or two more people to join the association. As mentioned we are on 180 members, and we are determined to get to 400 members as soon as possible.